What is Spanish Snowbirds?

[Byronic]

Wrong we are not here this winter any way you would not pay our site prices :lol-049::wave:

So lets get this right. You are away this winter, and quite a few members know your address. Tell us more......are your gates locked, and when is your son on hols.

 

[lebesset]

If there is going to be many of you that come over to hold a meet here you would be better off finding a campsite to hold it. There was many unhappy locals and campsite owners upset about the number of motorhomes taking over car parks and land near the beach. The Guardia have been told to enforce the 24 hour only law, I saw Sunday 2 motorhomes being moved from one of VW Alan's little hidey holes behind Alicante Airport.:wave:

what 24 hour law is this ; in what document do I find it , must have a copy

 

[vwalan]

i take it ken you will be draining the pool as well so theres no need for bob and me to come up for a swim.
never mind we shall always be around another winter , we hope .
shant tell where you are i,ll keep it secret if your not draining the swimming pool leave the hot water on please.

 

[vwalan]

what 24 hour law is this ; in what document do I find it , must have a copy

there is no document . quite alot of the regions have made a decision to do the 24hr rule . i first came upon it up in the north . about 3 years ago. now we move every night when up on the north coast. come back , move come back. etc . we had the police round at the cemetry at san vicente . we have stopped there for years . but had to go. one of the locals told us best not come back as there is a neighbourhood watch thing going on . we ened up two weeks just moving around but back to the beach every day. a guardia did ask us if we were thinking of staying the night we said no. and saw them almost every where we stayed but kept moving was ok. daft really.

 

[carol]

Doesn't sound like fun to me, it sounds stressful! Is it just a particular region?

 

[Deleted member 9237]

Doesn't sound like fun to me, it sounds stressful! Is it just a particular region?

Carol it,s mostly the beaches you will find this 24 hour thing being used the best thing you could do is move of find a village away from the beach and go back the next day. there are plenty villages were you can park up :wave:

 

[Deleted member 9237]

i take it ken you will be draining the pool as well so theres no need for bob and me to come up for a swim.
never mind we shall always be around another winter , we hope .
shant tell where you are i,ll keep it secret if your not draining the swimming pool leave the hot water on please.

I leave the pool full and let me know if you want it warm and I will set the timer at warm. :cheers:

 

[Deleted member 967]

Doesn't sound like fun to me, it sounds stressful! Is it just a particular region?

Not stressful at all Carol. Joan and I park late in a location and move the next morning. We may only move to another spot within walking distance for the day. The Guardia and Local Police patrol at night and spot where vans are parking. If they see you moving around and only parking, then they leave you alone (ie, playing the game). Where the same van is in the same spot for days and nights on end they will move you on and that could cost you up to 400 Euros. Where lots of vans gather they will keep a special eye on that location. We try not to overnight more than two consecutive nights in one place and day park in other spots. It is relatively easy to find locations well away from the hot spots in our experience. You are parking not camping at these locations.

We use Aires and camper stops to get water and dump our toilet. These are not expensive in fact some you only pay for the water used. Others it is cheaper to stay the night and use the dump facility twice that just call in to dump (ie. Calnegre Camper stop). We also use Fuentes for water inland.

As for Ken's idea of a meet. Camper stops such as Auto Caravanas Vera (ACVera on a paddle and tennis complex)) are very cheap if you stay for a few days. Also useful for a battery top up on EHU. New Year it is always very full there but otherwise there would be bags of space.
The Aire in Cartagena is right opposite EROSKI and there is also a laundrette in the Rembla complex. The Aire offers free parking and toilet dump with water at 2 Euro for 10mins (about 100 litres). An overnight stop here 11pm to 8 am is 10 Euro and you are in a locked compound and EHU. Space for about 10 vans on EHU plus others.
The Camper stop at Los Delores (also near Cartagena) is also very good and offers cheaper rates for more than a few days. Laundry available and very popular with users. Good bus services into Cartagena from both of these locations if you like cities.

We met up with Alan, Bob, Snail, Donna and Phil and others, one Christmas at a beach location, but that has now been fenced off.

Carol, Spain has 17 autonomous regions and each town hall has its own rules and has police to enforce them. Camping anywhere other than on an official caravan site is unlawful in most of Spain, but some regions are not a zealous as other in the enforcement.

Snail and ourselves parked at an empty car park at Torrenostra one evening, and had tickets on our windows in the morning, informing us it was against the local law for motorhomes to park there overnight. We pulled off the car park onto a roadside parking bay on the other side of the road, beside an un-built building plot and were OK. The car park remained empty the whole time we were there. There was boat launching facilities off this car park, but trailers could not be left there either. Local rules enforced by local police.

 

[davegreg]

I love little birds. I'm looking forward to it.

 

[MF2002]

Going Snowbirding

Hi Folks,

We're leaving Aberdeen 4th October heading to Spain & Portugal for winter before venturing further East next Spring & Summer. Plan on returning to the UK about September 2016 subject to budgetary constraints (running out of money)

Appreciate all the info and advice. Hope to meet some of you on the road.

Thanks again for all the info.

M & F

 

[snowbirds]

Morning Campers,

We had our habitation man back to fix our grill and fit a new Gas connection pipe with a finger wheel,a lot better than the spanner and mole grips I will get less broken knuckles.
Starting the list with just a couple of jobs to do but some I may save for while I'm away,just need to find a reasonable ferry crossing for late afternoon at the beginning of October as we don't want to spend the night in Dover it's more peaceful in Calais.:scared:
Lets hope the weather will get better over there.

Regards Snowbirds.:wave::rolleyes2:

 

[vindiboy]

SDC10001_zpswa7ipkrk.jpg Photo by vindiboy1 | Photobucket Have you tried the Canterbury P n R Aire , it is now £3 for24 hours , free bus to Canterbury and only 20 minutes easy drive to the Ferry Port.

 

[Deleted member 9237]

And don,t forget if any of you have any problems in Alicante area and need help p.m me and i come and find you. :wave:

 

[BrianG]

:idea:I'm planning to head South in the first week of December, before the ferry prices go up for the Xmas rush but won't be crossing to Spain via the (free)Somport Tunnel till mid December, then it will be a straight drive,pp:drive: with rest periods at Aires,:sleep-027: to the mid East Mediterranean coast.:boat:
Hopefully finding a wildcamping place to spend Xmas / New year or longer depending on the weather.
So if anyone wants to join / accompany me, your welcome:welcome:

We are booking ferry mid October, just me, the good wife (necessary because she cooks), and 2 dogs. We would like some company over Xmas so if you like I will keep in touch and let you know where we are.

There have been a lot of slightly negative posts in this thread which is a shame for people who may be contemplating winter in Spain for the first time. We lived in Spain for ten years a lot of time with a motorhome, and we continue to visit every year.
YES we have been moved on. Just do as requested, be considerate of the police who are only doing their job. Respect Spain and the Spanish people who I have found to be the friendliest and most helpful in Europe.
Have fun, Brian

 

[Deleted member 19733]

Thanks for the many good info on here. We're off on 15th October for the winter in Spain and Portugal, we may bump into some of you.

Anyway have fun and enjoy yourselves.

:cheers::cheers::cheers::camper::have fun:

 

[BrianG]

Thanks for the many good info on here. We're off on 15th October for the winter in Spain and Portugal, we may bump into some of you.

Anyway have fun and enjoy yourselves.

:cheers::cheers::cheers::camper::have fun:

We are seriously considering the ferry in that week. Unfortunately a close friend had a heart attack Wednesday night so need to find out how he is before deciding. We're in an Autosleeper Palermo Wsticker in windscreen. May see you.

BRIAN & MARINA.

 

[MykCamper]

play it by ear!

I'm hoping to find a camper friendly town that Vindiboy posted earlier this year, if it's still good, it sounds ideal for a Meet up, what do you reckon , John ?

 

[BrianG]

I'm hoping to find a camper friendly town that Vindiboy posted earlier this year, if it's still good, it sounds ideal for a Meet up, what do you reckon , John ?

Hi John, Good idea. Let us know this town you are talking about. If not too far north or too high, too cold, I would like to meet some of you. Brian.

 

[MykCamper]

It's on the Beach, so it should be warm, hopefully.
Awaiting Vindiboys response!

 

[horshamjack]

We are hoping to get on the road early October, will be down South, Spain/Portugal hopefully by early November, then going back to Morocco in Jan for 3 months. Then slowly amble back as the weather gets better
Back in July 2016 to get MOT done
Will get in touch Mike nearer the time your down that way, will be nice to have mini meet of sorts, good luck to all the other snowbirds, hopefully bump into a few of you on the road :have fun: